The number of Internet users in Korea has topped 40 million, with the rate of Internet use also surpassing the 80 percent mark, a survey showed on Monday.

According to the report compiled by the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, the number of Internet users in the country, with a population of nearly 50 million, reached some 40.08 million as of September, up from 38.12 million a year ago, and some 82 percent of South Koreans log on to the Internet at least once a month, also up from 78.4 percent over the cited period.

The survey was conducted on 77,402 South Koreans aged over 3 years and 30,000 households between July 1 and Sept. 31.